Humble Service

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We are taking this fall to explore what Jesus meant when he said, “Seek first the kingdom of God.” Because Jesus knew that there will always be multiple kingdoms competing for your allegiance. There will always be leaders asking for your loyalty and your devotion, and telling you, “If you’ll just follow me, I’ll make everything okay.” And Jesus is warning us that there’s only one Kingdom that can actually deliver on those promises. There’s only one Kingdom that will endure after every other kingdom in this world has crumbled, and that’s the Kingdom of God. So Jesus was inviting people—and he’s inviting us—to seek first—to prioritize—to find our true identity in the Kingdom of God, under the leadership of King Jesus. And he said when we do that, everything else will fall into place.  

So every Sunday this fall, with election season raging around us, we’re looking at a different New Testament teaching that shows us what it means to seek first the Kingdom of God.  

And today we’re going to look at a life habit that is such a good indicator—it’s such an accurate gauge—of whether you’re actually seeking God’s kingdom first. So today I’m going to invite you to do a little self-evaluation. If you look at your life, and you don’t really see this thing happening, that means you’re putting other things ahead of God’s kingdom. If you do see this thing happening in your life, that’s pretty good evidence that you’re seeking God’s kingdom first. So I want to invite you to be brutally honest, and allow Jesus to diagnose the condition of your heart. 

It was Thursday night—the night before Good Friday. Jesus gathered his disciples for a final meal. Everybody could feel the weight of this moment—most of all Jesus. He knew that what happened on that night would stick with his disciples for the rest of their lives, so he chose his actions and his words very intentionally. So let’s lean in and see what happened in that room, on that night.  

John chapter 13, starting in verse 1: 

1 It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. 

2 The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5 After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. 

6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” 

7 Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” 

8 “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.” 

Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” 

9 “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!” 

10 Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” 11 For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean. 

12 When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. 13 “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16 Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them. This is the Word of the Lord. 

Let’s talk first about The Example of Christ. When I look at what Jesus did that night, there are three things that stand out.  

First, The surprise. In the first century, the way that people got from place to place was almost entirely by walking, on dirt roads, wearing sandals. So when you went to visit someone in their home, it was customary for the person who greeted you at the door to bend down and take off your sandals and wash your feet. Sounds kind of nice, doesn’t it? I mean, for the person getting their feet washed it sounds nice—not for the person doing it.  

Okay, so who would actually do the foot washing? Normally it was done by a household servant. But we also have historical evidence that sometimes wives washed their husbands’ feet (again, I approve); we have stories of children washing their parents’ feet. We know that sometimes, students or disciples washed the feet of their teachers. Did you notice what all those scenarios have in common? Think about the social ranking, that exists in every culture—what do all those foot washing scenarios have in common? Here it is: it was always the person with lower social status who would wash the feet of the person with higher status. Right? Because in that culture, wives had a lower social position than their husbands; children were lower than their parents, etc. So the person with the more lowly position always served the one with the higher position. That’s just how it was done, and everybody knew it.  

So—it’s Thursday night. It’s Passover time. And the disciples of Jesus show up in this room with their feet covered in dirt from the Palestinian roads. And since this is a private meeting, there’s no servant. Uh-oh. Who’s going to wash the feet? The foot washing supplies are there: there’s a basin and a towel. But as they come into the room, one by one, no one volunteers. Why not? Why didn’t someone say, “I’ll do it”? Because if you did that, you would be admitting that you are inferior to the others! And no one was willing to do that.  

In fact, if you look at the way this evening is described in Luke’s Gospel, you find out what the disciples actually had on their minds when they walked into that room. Luke 22:24 says: A dispute also arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest. They were actually having an argument about that! Is it any surprise that none of them was willing to wash feet? 

So they all come to the table with their dirty feet. And the meal begins. Sometime during the meal, Jesus gets up—of course, nobody knows what he’s doing. He takes off his outer garment—well that’s weird—so now he would just be wearing a tunic—sort of a long t-shirt. He wraps the towel around his waist; he fills the clay wash basin with water, and he starts doing the thing that nobody else was willing to do. (This is a classic painting of that moment by Nicolas Bertin). 

What do you think the disciples are thinking at this point? Last week I asked he guys in my men’s group, “Imagine you’re at the other end of the circle from where Jesus started, so you have lots of time to think as he works his way toward you. What’s going through your mind?” It was quiet for a few seconds, and then one guy said, “I hope he changes out that water before he gets to me.” But really, how do you think they’re feeling? Awkward? Confused? Embarrassed? All of the above. Because who’s the highest-ranking person in that gathering? A few verses later, Jesus calls himself their “Lord and master.” So there is no question in anyone’s mind that the person in that room with the most authority and power and gravitas is Jesus. He’s the one who should be sitting back and demanding that they wash his feet. And maybe throw in a little massage and refreshing menthol scrub. But instead he gets up, and he washes their feet.  

And the heads of the disciples are about to explode. Why is he doing this? Why would anyone in this position lower themselves to serve someone in this position? 

Let’s talk about that—The source. Look at verse 3: Jesus knew… We said a few weeks ago that our mindset always drives our behavior. So what did Jesus know? Three things: he knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God. You know what that tells me? Jesus knew exactly who he was. His identity was completely secure in his Father. God was the one who sent him; God was the one who empowered him; and when his mission was complete, God was the one who would welcome him back home. And therefore, Jesus didn’t have to prove anything or impress anyone or compete with anyone or manage his public image. He was free from all that, because his self-image was completely defined by his relationship with his Father—the same Father who said to him, “You are my beloved son; in you I am well-pleased.”  

Jesus knew who he was! And then look at verse 4—what’s the first word in verse 4? So! In other words, there’s a cause and effect relationship between what he knew about himself and what he did. It was precisely because his identity was so secure in God that he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. And started washing feet. I would say it like this: security leads to servanthood! The more secure you are in your identity, you will be freed up to serve in ways that other people aren’t willing to. Security leads to servanthood. 

But there’s something else going on here. Let’s talk about The symbolism. One of the guys in that circle, waiting for their turn to be washed, is Peter. And he is squirming. He’s so uncomfortable with this whole thing. (This is another painting by Paolo Veronese, showing Peter’s resistance). So when Jesus gets to him, he says, “Lord, don’t do this! You shouldn’t be washing my feet! It’s just not right!” Peter had this habit of correcting Jesus. And in verse 7, Jesus says to Peter, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” Well that’s mysterious. Why would Peter be able to understand this better later? 

And in then in verse 8, Peter again objects, and Jesus says, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” Interesting! Is Jesus really that into foot hygiene that he refuses to be seen with disciples with dirty feet? I don’t think so. Are you beginning to see that Jesus is using foot washing to represent something deeper? A deeper kind of washing. So Jesus says, “Peter, you need to humble yourself and allow me to do this. Because if you won’t, that means you won’t have the humility to let me do the bigger washing—and you don’t want to miss that.” 

So…what was the greater washing that this was pointing to? Well, let’s think about it: they’re gathered in that room for what holiday? Passover. The highlight of Passover was to sacrifice what? The Passover lamb. Way back in John 1, verse 29, Jesus was walking toward John the Baptist, and you remember what John said? “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.” See, Jesus came to this world to be the ultimate Passover lamb—the final Passover lamb. Did you notice that when the disciples gathered in that room, there is no mention of anybody bringing the lamb! Right? No mention of the lamb! And the reason was…the Passover Lamb was there! He was washing their feet, and the next morning he would go to the cross and wash away their sins! 

So Jesus says to Peter, and he says to us, “Unless you let me wash you, you have no part in me.” 

So…let me ask you the most important question you’ll hear all day: Have you let Jesus wash you? Have you looked at what he did on the cross, and have you said, “Lord, you did that for me! Those were my sins you were paying for! I don’t deserve that, but I receive it. Jesus: wash me! Make me clean!” If you’ve been resisting him, like Peter, it’s time to let him wash you clean. 

Because when you do that, not only are you made right with your creator, you are now able to start living in a different way. Which leads to the final point: The Imitation of Christ. And I’m going to put this under two headings. First, let’s talk about The call to servanthood. Remember what we said before? Servanthood flows from…what? Security! Jesus knew who he was, so he got up and served. If you’ve been washed by the blood of Christ, you now know who you are. You belong to God, and you’re going back to God! You are his beloved son or daughter. With you he is well pleased. You are secure. And out of that security, you are now free to follow Jesus’ example.  

Jesus says it straight up in verses 14 and 15: 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Okay, so what does it mean for you and me to wash one another’s feet? Did you know, some churches take this literally? They actually have foot washing ceremonies. Anyone here been a part of a foot washing ceremony in a church? For a lot of people it’s a powerful experience, and it’s a very tactile way to do what Jesus said to do. 

But I believe that Jesus is calling us to something much broader than that. He’s calling us to serve—especially in ways that might seem beneath us. Especially with people who might feel like they’re somehow beneath us. 

When my kids were young, I remember sitting in my kitchen early one morning. The house was quiet; the coffee was fresh; I had just opened up my Bible. It was one of those mornings that I was really looking forward to spending time with God. And just then, one of my sons came downstairs, and he said to me something that only parents have the privilege of hearing. He said, “Dad, could you help me clean the dog poop off my sneakers before school?” And it’s hard to express the different thoughts that went through my mind at that moment. There was one voice in me, saying, “Tell him to clean his own shoes! He needs to learn responsibility!” But I knew that if I left him to do this on his own, it would not have been pretty. 

There was another voice in me, saying, “Tell him to ask his mom for help!” Because I was being spiritual. I was filling my mind with the things of God. I couldn’t be troubled with this kind of…stuff.”  

But there was one other voice in me. And it was the quietest voice, but also the strongest one. And that voice was conveying to me this deeply spiritual message, as if it were the words of God himself: “Clean the poop.”  

So I put down my Bible, and for the next fifteen minutes (it actually took that long—it was really in there), I helped my son get all the foreign matter off his favorite sneakers. And then I washed my hands really well. (And by the way, I later got in trouble with my wife…because I used a fork to clean them. It was the only thing that would really get in the treads). 

So my son went to school with his clean sneakers, and as I was driving to the office it just hit me. My son hears me preach sermons. He sees me lead Bible studies and go on mission trips. But I felt pretty sure that that act of service—which I almost didn’t do—spoke louder than any of those other things.  

What are the jobs that just seem beneath you? Changing diapers? Cleaning toilets? Scrubbing floors?  

Thirty years ago I was an intern here at The Chapel. And there was an event over in the Impact Center. And after the event, people were cleaning up. And I remember seeing Earl Comfort, who was the Senior Pastor, with a vacuum, vacuuming the floor. I’ll never forget that sight, and that was so good for me to see. Because without a word, he was teaching me what real leadership looks like.  

When it comes to following Christ’s example, I’ve realized that there’s one kind of serving that’s the most challenging. Let’s talk about The challenge of servanthood. Every time I read this, I am struck by verse 11. Look at this: For he knew who was going to betray him… In that room, on that night, sat Judas Iscariot. Judas was already planning to betray Jesus, and Jesus knew it. And he washed his feet anyway. Please don’t miss how hugely significant that is. 

See, the challenge of servanthood is this: sometimes, Jesus calls you to serve people who simply don’t deserve it. Because they’re mean. Or they’ve hurt you. Or they have ridiculous political views. They just don’t deserve to be served! When that happens, ask yourself this: “Did I deserve to be washed clean by Jesus? Did I deserve his forgiveness?” And of course, the answer is, “No.” Look—it’s not about deserving; it’s about serving. Freely we have received the goodness of God, and now we have the privilege of freely giving it out.  

When we do that—when we follow the example of Christ, because we’re so secure in who we are in Christ, we are representing Jesus to the people around us really well. 

There’s a little line at the end of this passage that’s so easy to skip over. Look at verse 17. Jesus closes this whole scene with these words: Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you…talk about them. Preach about them. Do Bible studies about them. Post verses about them on your Facebook page. Do you see what I did there? 

The comedian Louis CK has a routine where he talks about sitting in first class on a plane, and seeing a uniformed military guy walk back toward coach. And he says,  

every time I see a soldier on a plane I always think, You know what? I should give him my seat. It would be the right thing to do, it would be easy to do, and it would mean a lot to him … I never have, let me make that clear. I've never done it once … And here's the worst part: I was actually proud of myself for having thought of this. I am such a sweet man. That is so nice of me, to think of doing that and then totally never do it. 

I appreciate his honesty. And I think he speaks for a lot of us. In fact, I would guess that 90% of you already knew that there was a time when Jesus washed his disciples’ feet. Right? How many of you knew this story already, before you came here today? And how many of you feel like you live it out regularly? (you don’t have to raise your hand—that would be bragging). 

Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you—everybody? …do them. Yesterday morning, there were about 300 people who drove home from Paterson blessed—they were filled, and joyful, and satisfied—not because they knew the right thing to do, but because they did it. The blessing comes in the doing. And the doing flows from being secure in your relationship with God. So today we’re going to close by reminding ourselves of that security, through communion.